In the News this Week...

Electric game drives

There may soon be a breathless hush on the trail in the African bush. This summer Mukambi Safari Lodge in Zambia will be first to use a new electric Land Rover for game drives. The eLandy has been developed by a Dutch firm, Emke Engineering, in collabporation with the lodge and Greesafais, a subsidiary of a Netherlands-based venture capitalist company. Its backers claim that "instead of the roaring diesel engine, the sounds of the bush will get centre focus". The solar charged vehicle has "full off-road capabilities", a range of 56 miles, a top speed of 43 mph or about 70 kilometres per hour and carries up to nine passengers. Mukambi Lodge overlooks the Kafue River in the Kafue National Park, a 3hr drive from Lusaka.
 

Ernst exhibition set to open

An major retrospective dedicated to Max Ernst opens at the Fondation Beyer in Basle on 26 May. The exhibition includes more than 170 paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures and books. Ernst, who lived from 1891 - 1976, started as a Dadaist in Cologne and later became a pioneer of surrealism in Paris, where he was interned as an enemy alien in the early stages of the Second World War before being freed with the help of his friend, the poet Paul Eluard, and escaping to America. The exhibition runs until 8 September.
 

Skeleton Coast Camp planned

A new safari camp is scheduled to open next year on the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. Developed by Wilderness Safaris, the camp will be  on the Hoanib River, in the most remote part of the Kaokoveld - a rugged region of mountains, plains and dry river beds where the wlewitschia plant grows and  where elephant, antelope, giraffe, lion and cheetah live despite the arid environment. It had been hoped the camp would open next month but it has been delayed for a year. Weather conditions permitting, guests may join excursions into the previously restricted Hoanib flood plains with their sweet water oases. The camp has seven twin bedded tents and one family unit.
 

New routes from regional airports

Budget airline Jet2.com continues to expand. Next summer it will add new routes from four airports, operating to Madeira from East Midlands, Menorca from Blackpool, Kos from Leeds Bradford - and to Reus and Zante from both Glasgow and Leeds Bradford. The airline's tour operator arm Jet2holidays.com is offering packages to all five destinations. Meanwhile BMI Regional has launched four new routes from Birmingham and three from Bristol. It now flies from the Midlands airport to Toulouse, Gothenburg and Lyon. The new destinations served from Bristol are  Munich, Milan, Hannover and Frankfurt.
 

Historic Scottish coastal inn set to be reborn

The Inn at John O'Groats in the far north of Scotland - reincarnation of a hotel originally built in 1875 - is on course to open in mid-August. Now a self catering property with views across Pentland Firth to Stroma and the Orkneys, its one, two and three bedroom apartments are now available for booking through its developer, Natural Retreats. The restoration, which has included an extension, has made use wherever possiblke of local materials such as Caithness stone and latch. It is part of a £6 million regeneration project, undertaken in collaboration with Heritage GB and Highland and Island Enterprise, which has lreadt seen the opening of 23 lodges, a cafe selling local produce and goods and a retail outfitters' centre where visitors can book activities including "sea safaris", bike hite and guided walks, as well as buting clothes and equipment.

Baltic is your lobster

Bored with the same old summer holiday ritual? For those seeking something a little different a hotel in Travemünde on Germany's Baltic coast, has come up with an eye catching package. The MARITIM Strandhotel which overlooks the sea by a sandy beach at the mouth of the River Trave is offering a week's half board from July 7-14 including extras such as a "cooking experience" with the general manager, an excursion to a safari park in Denmark and a lobster buffet. The hotel has a pools, sauna and gym. You have to get yourself there. It costs €910 per person - or about £780.

BA to start new Larnaca flights

A new service from Gatwick to Cyprus will be launched by British Airways on 30 June. The airline will operate three round trips a week to Larnaca, departing at 8.25am on Mondays, 2.40pm on Thursdays and 8.20am on Sundays. Homeward flights will leave at 4.10pm, 10.05pm and 5pm respectively.
 

New London hotel opens

London has a new boutique hotel. The Xenia, which opened last week in South Kensington's Cromwell Road is housed in a restored Victorian building. Tablet computers are provided in all its rooms. It incorporates an Italian restaurant adhering to "Cucina Evolution" healthily balanced eating principles pioneered by nutritionist, university lecturer and chef Chiara Manzi. The restaurant has an open kitchen and diners will be encouraged to ask questions about the cuisine. For prices and reservations visit www.hotelxenia.co.uk.
 

Horseback safari will follow wildebeest

Ride on horseback alongside the wildebeest as they migrate through Kenya's Masai Mara. Then head south to ride through Botswana’s Okavango Delta. That's the intriguing offer from Aardvark Safaris. Sandwiched between the two rides - with en route accommodation in mobile or fixed camps - will be a stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel. The trip starts in Nairobi and finishes in Maun (Botswana) runs from July 19 - August 1 next year and is for experienced riders only. It costs from £7890   including internal flights and all meals - but not international flights.
 

Hotel price boost for Francophiles

Falling hotel prices may help France lure defecting Brits back across the Channel. With the exception of the most expensive, luxury tier of properties, room  rates paid outside Paris fell overall in the first three months of the year, new figures show. Daily rates at budget and mid price hotels were down by more than three per cent on average compared with the same period last winter, according to research published by the Deloitte group. The main reason for the falls appears to be a weak domestic market as the ailing French economy deters people from taking as many breaks away from home. Price changes differ sharply between individual properties. But averages are nevertheless a good indication that France should offer better value this summer.
 

Lyon link for Midlands

Flybe has begun flying between Birmingham and and Lyon. The regional airline Flybe is operating six round trips a week, year round, which will provide a new service for skiers as well as summer travellers to south east France. Outbound flights depart at 10.30am on weekdays, leaving Lyon on the return journey at 1.40pm. On Sundays departure times are 5.45pm and 8.55pm respectively. And Lufthansa has launched services between Düsseldorf and Cardiff. Flights leave the German city - an excellent weekend break destination -  at 11am on Saturdays, departing from Cardiff at 1.10pm.
 

Airline to charge some passengers for cabin bags

A US airline is to charge budget passengers for carry on bags unless they book direct, through its website. Frontier Airlines says that starting this summer travellers booking its lowest fares through travel agents or on line agencies will pay fees starting at $25. In a statement the airline says is "most loyal customers have made it very clear that finding overhead bin space for carry on bags has become unacceptably difficult.". It adds that the change will speed the boarding process.
 

South Africa gets big new game reserve

A huge new game reserve has been created by linking two protected areas in South Africa's Karoo region. CapeNature, the Western Cape conservation authority, has bought the 12,800 hectare Grand Canyon property, which lies between the Anysberg and Swartberg reserves. All three properties together make up an east-west stretch of land measuring some 280 kilometres (175 miles) - and area of about 215,000 hectares. CapeNature ecologist Dr AnneLise Schutte-Vlok, who played a key role in the acquisition, said: "It's quite incredible to think that a leopard can walk basically from Anysberg all the way to Baviaans. That is quite a distance. What's so great about this new land is that it links protected areas, because in conservation connectivity is crucial, not just for movement of leopards but for the movement of all animals and also for the genetic migration of plants. We know that one of the greatest threats to wildlife populations is habitat fragmentation, brought about by, for example, agricultural or urban development. 
 

Mobile boarding passes on trial

EasyJet has begun testing mobile boarding passes at six airports. Passengers flying from Stansted, Southend, Manchester, Edinburgh or Nice can check in, then download and store passes using android or iPhones. Once the passes have been downloaded they are stored off line so no network coverage or wi fi is necessary and no roaming charges will be incurred. If the trial proves successful the service, an addition to easyJet's existing, free mobile app, will be introduced across the airline's network. It will be extended later to Blackberries and phones using Windows 7 and 8 systems.
 

BA to start new Canaries flights

British Airways is to launch flights to Gran Canaria from Heathrow this Autumn. From October 26 the airline will operate a weekly service using an Airbus A320 aircraft, departing from London at 10.05am on Saturdays and arriving in Las Palmas at 2.35pm. Homeward flights from the Canary Island will leave at 3.20pm, reaching Heathrow at 7.40pm. Flights are already open for booking.
 

Cotswolds arts and crafts walk launched

A guided walking holidays with an arts and crafts theme is on offer this summer by Cotswold Walks. The aim is to show what inspired William Morris, the Barnsley brothers - Ernest and Sidney - and others at the end of the 19th century to make the area a base for their campaign to champion local craftsmanship. Though there's only one fixed departure date (in August) for the week long holiday the company will organise similar trips for groups of four or more at other times. Each day's walk will range from  3 - 8 miles. Places of interest visited will include Kelmscott Manor, a summer retreat shared by Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti from 1871. Accommodation will be at the Lygon Arms in Chipping Camden and the Close Hotel in Tetbury. The price of £945 or £995 a head depending on whether dinner is included on four nights or all all seven nights. Cotswold Walks offers registered visitors to silvertraveladviser.com a 10% discount on this or other itineraries
 

New Canaries flights and holidays take off

Budget airline Jet2.com has launched new scheduled flights and package holidays to Fuenteventura in the Canary Islands. The flights depart weekly from Leeds-Bradford, Manchester and Glasgow with fares starting at £69 return. The packages can be booked through the airline's tour operator arm Jet2holidays with prices starting at £399 for one week's self catering.
 

Bargain flghts to Israel may follow open skies deal

Expect new cheap flights to Israel following the signing of a new open skies agreement between that country and the European Union. While there had been no announcements of new services from Britain at the time of writing, Naama Oryan-Kaplan, UK and Ireland director of the Israel Government Tourist Office noted that the move "instills optimism in the tourism industry and sends a positive signal to investors who will be looking for holiday costs to fall and incoming tourism to rise by hundreds of thousands of new visitors.There will be many options for new carriers to enter the Israeli market, including low cost carriers who previously were unable to fly due to regulatory issues, and the option for Israel to become a layover hub".

Cape Cod train link for Boston

Happier news from Boston: this summer, for the first time in over 30 years, visitors to the city will be able to take the train to Cape Cod. The Cape Flyer will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between May 24 and September 2  to Hyannis. The return fare from Boston's South Station will be $35. There will be three stops en route. Hyannis, sometimes called the "Capital of the Cape", is close to the Kennedy Compound and has a museum recalling the time the former President spent in the area. It is also the jumping off point for Nantucket Island.
 

CAA acts on long air delay compensation

The enthusiasm of airlines to wriggle out of compensating passengers hit by long delays or cancellations is about to be curbed. The Civil Aviaton Authority is drawing up a list of circumstances which it regards as beyond their control. The move follows a European Court judgement six months ago that travellers held up for over three hours were entitled to compensation unless the airline could show it wasn't to blame. The Authority, which mediates in cases of unresolved complaints against airlines and airports, says that since the ruling it has secured €95,700 (about £82,000) in pay outs for UK passengers who suffered such delays resulting from problems it considered were within the carrier’s control. It is currently wrestling with a backlog of claims as a result of the judgement, and says it may take longer than usual to assess them and respond. The Authority  has received over 5,800 claims from passengers who have approached their airline and are not satisfied with the reply they received. "To date we have argued that compensation should be paid in around half of the claims we have considered." Iain Osborne, director of regulatory policy says Authority CAA would far rather that passengers never needed to involve us and airlines settled claims much more quickly and directly. "To help them, we will soon provide airlines with more detailed guidelines about what kind of circumstances we judge are within their control."
 

Travel to France plummets

The weakness and the £ against the euro and the cost of filling up with fuel appear to have taken their toll on travel to France. Since 2008 the number of Britons travelling there has fallen by around 2m, or nearly 20%, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figures include business travel but it seems likely that a drop in short leisure trips is a prime reason. Spending in France fell much less steeply - by only 3.6% and the average length travellers stayed hardly changed - from 6.6 nights ion 2008 to 6.6 nights in 2012. The statistics show that Britons took 647,000 fewer holidays abroad last year than in 2011. That represented a drop of 1.5% to 36,173,000. Long haul bookings were clearly worst affected. Visits to Europe fell only marginally, while those to the US were down by 3.6% and trips elsewhere fell by 6.2%. The ONS estimate of the proportion of holiday travellers booking packages is lower than that calculated by some other research but is still probably higher than most people imagine, remaining almost unchanged at around 40%.
 

Burma for Ramblers

A walking trip to Burma is included in Ramblers Worldwide Holidays' programme for next year. Though the itinerary is not all on foot - there are excursions by boat and horse drawn cart - it includes walks to a monastery near Inle Lake in Mandalay and  to the stunning Golden Rock, an important Buddhist pilgrimage site on Mount Kyaikhtiyo. Departure is on March 8, the trip lasts 15 nights and the price, including flights from Heathrow, is £3450.

New Mallorca walking maps

Mallorca's Calvia region, best known for lively resorts such as Magaluf, is now promoting its quieter, rural side. Local tourism organisation Visit Calvia has just launched a new hiking programme with a series of maps available from tourist offices in the area (price €2). Walkers can opt for a range of itineraries, from gentle stroll on a forest path from Peguera to  Cap Andritxol, to the GR21 "Dry Stone "route, which runs through mountains and across farmland and takes in  bronze age archaeological sites. The route leaflets include information on what to see along the way - including flora and fauna.
 

More flights from Scotland

Three airlines have announced increased flights from Scotland with the start of their summer schedules. KLM has upped the frequency of its services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Amsterdam from five to six and four to five a day respectively. Its partner Air France has begun operating four round trips a day from Edinburgh to Paris instead of the present three. And from 22 April 22, Eastern Airways is increasing its frequency from Leeds-Bradford to Aberdeen from 22 to 26 a week with up to three flights operating in each direction on Mondays and Thursdays.
 

Cruise line to launch "virtual balconies"

Royal Caribbean's new Quantum of the Seas will have "virtual balconies" in its cabins - big screens showing real time views of the ocean and destinations. The 18 deck cruise ship, scheduled to enter service in autumn next year, will also have a distinctive glass capsule on an arm which will transport passengers out over the water, rising to more than 300 feet. It will have a full size basketball court, bumper cars, roller skating and a circus school flying trapeze. The vessel, which will cater for up to 4180 passengers, will be followed into service in 2015 by a sister ship, Anthem of the Seas. It is reported that virtual balconies will also be fitted in some cabins on the line's existing Navigator of the Seas when it undergoes a re-vamp next winter. Disney already has what it calls "Magical Portholes" on its cruise ships Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, allowing guests in inside cabins a view outside.
 

May opening for Mary Rose Museum

Portsmouth's new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth will open on May 31. The £35 million project brings together the hull of the sixteenth century warship with thousands of artefacts recovered when the Tudor warship was recovered from the Solent seabed 30 years ago. Items range from fleas to guns - with books, musical instruments, clothes and nit combs in between. Th skeleton of Hatch, the ship's dog, will be on show, as will that of  an archer, revealing the effects of repetitive strain from drawing longbows. Mary Rose sank in full view of Henry VIII while leading an attack on a French invasion fleet. For another four or five years visitors to the museum will be limited to seeing the hull through windows in a "hot box" pumped with drying air. Once this preservation work is finished the walls will be removed. (http://historicdockyard.co.uk).
 

Free Wi-Fi at Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport now offers travellers two hours of free Wi-Fi internet access per day. Passengers may surf the web using laptops, tablets or smart phones. Frequent travellers, often stung with a fee when they need only send a quick email message or check a sports result - will be hoping Edinburgh's move will be copied by more airports around the world.
 

BA inaugurates Sri Lanka link

British Airways launched its new service to Sri Lanka yesterday. The airline flies three times a week between Gatwick and Colombo via Male in the Maldives, using a Boeing 777 jet with three cabins, including World Traveller Plus (premium economy).  BA last flew to Sri Lanka in 1998.
 

Airline to launch

Air Baltic is to allow passengers to "drag and drop" dishes from an on line menu on to their in flight meal tray. The service, which is s scheduled to be introduced next month, will enable customers to pre-order any combination they fancy up to a cut off deadline of 24 hours before departure. The airline  - which charges for food on its flights - says there will be a choice of some 40 set meals alone. The new pick and mix service will increase the options enormously. Air Baltic flies non stop between London and the Latvian capital,  Riga.
 

Terminal 5 voted world's best

Heathrow's Terminal 5, whose teething troubles provoked a gale of criticism when it opened in 2008, has been voted the world's best terminal building. The accolade comes from research consultancy Skytrax, who conducts a well established series of international polls among air travellers. Heathrow again came top in the vote for the world's best airport shopping. The award for best airport staff in Europe went to Zurich, followed by Amsterdam’s Schiphol, Munich, Helsinki-Vantaa and Düsseldorf. Singapore's Changi emerged as best airport overall. The rest of the top ten, in order, were Incheon (South Korea), Schiphol. Hong Kong, Beijing Capital International, Munich, Zurich, Vancouver International, Tokyo Haneda - and Heathrow.
 

Holiday boom among grandparents

Growing demand from "gallivanting grandparents" has prompted Grand UK Holidays to add more than a dozen new tours and cruises to the already wide range it had unveiled for the coming summer. The new additions include singles specials to the Cotswolds and Yorkshire and a cruise to the Norwegian fjords.

Lufthansa to launch premium economy

Lufthansa has announced it plans to launch premium economy cabins next year. The German airline will fit them on all its long haul aircraft, providing leg room and service somewhere between normal economy and business class. A spokesman said a project group would be formed at the start of 2014 to manage the introduction of the new class and work out the details of what passengers would be offered. It would be introduced as soon as the majority of its long haul jets had been retrofitted with new business class. Premium economy is already available from the number of airlines, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. 

Salt Lake's new airport link

A new light rail link between Salt Lake City airport and downtown is scheduled to open on Sun 14 April 2013. Initially trains will run every 15 minutes, sometimes along streets. The six mile Airport TRAX extends an existing system from Arena Station and serves five stations en route.
 

New Russian tour from Naturetrek

A voyage around Russia's "Ring of Fire"  - against a backdrop of the volcanic landscapes of the Kamchatka Peninsula and Chukotka, is one of a range of new tours launched by Naturetrek. Travellers are likely to see brown bears, walrus, huge sea bird colonies, passing whales, sea otters and the spoon billed sandpiper. The two week trip departs on June 24 and costs £6995 including flights, full board on the cruise one night's b&b and all guiding. Other new tours including 11day birdwatching tour to Oman and a nine day photography safari - aimed at beginners -  in Zambia's magnificent South Luangwa National Park.
 

Revamped Rijksmuseum re-opens

Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum re-opens on Saturday 13 April after a ten year development programme. It has a new, spacious entrance, a new Asian pavilion of Portuguese stone and glass which is surrounded by water, and restored galleries. There are also new galleries concentrating on Dutch culture in the 20th century, through paintings, photography, film, furniture and even an aircraft. The position of exhibits has been shaken up, with only Rembrandt's The Night Watch in its previous place. Otherwise the lay out now charts the progress of Dutch history and art from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the present day.
 

Norwegian launches Wi-Fi inflight movies

Low cost airline Norwegian claims to be the first in Europe to offer movies and television programmes via Wi-Fi to passengers' laptops, tablets or smart phones. Travellers have a choice of 40 films - they cost €7 each to rent - and 130 recorded TV broadcasts. The service is available on the carrier's 60 wi fi enabled aircraft. Passengers are advised to take their own headphones. Meanwhile Norwegian began flying this week between Liverpool and Copenhagen and on May 35 it will start operating one round trip week on Saturdays between Gatwick and Ibiza.

New ski flights planned

Regional airline Flybe is to operate two new ski routes next winter - from Inverness to Geneva and Southampton to Grenoble. It will also increase the number of departures it offers to other wintersports destinations Southampton, and on its ski routes from Birmingham.
 

Northern Lights cruises - new direct flights

Direct flights from Glasgow and Bournemouth to join Northern Lights cruises off Norway are on offer from Hurtigruten for the first time for next winter. The cruise line quotes NASA's solar maximum forecast, which predicts the spectacle could be one of the best in a ten years and points out that at sea there is no extraneous light pollution to spoil the show. Itineraries include an "Arctic Highlights Voyage" from Tromsø to Kirkenes, on which travellers spend the entire time within the Arctic Circle. It costs from £995, including flights, half board on the ship and a night's b&b in Tromsø. It also offers direct flights from airports including Gatwick, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh and Belfast. 
 

American Civil War photos go on show

Heading for New York? A fascinating exhibition of over 200 photographs of the American Civil War opens between 27 May - 2 September 2013 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Some 1000 photographers were at work capturing images on the four year conflict, whih broke out in 1861. The new exhibition, which runs until September 2,  is made up of the museum's own photographs supplemented by examples from other public and private collections. It includes studio portraits of Union and Confederate soldiers, grim battlefield scenes such as Alexander Gardner's pictures of the dead at the Battle fo Antietam, and shocking photographs of wounded and sick troops from the war's last clashes, taken by the surgeon and head of Harewood Hospital in Washington, Dr Reed Brockway Bontecou.
 

Amsterdam flights take off from Kent

KLM began flying between Manston and Amsterdam on 2 April. It will operate two round trips a day, departing from the Kent airport at 63.5am and 10.40am and retunring from Schiphol at 10.10am and 8.50pm. And low cost carrier Jet2 will launch services to Prague and Budapest and from East Midland Airport next winter, with flights starting toe the two capitals on November 7 and 8 respectively.
 

Many travellers ignorant about foreign driving rules

Forty per cent of holidaymakers (40%) driving their own cars or renting abroad fail to check local regulations, according to a new survey. One third of those questioned did not know what equipment they were required to carry in the vehicle in the country they visited. The research was conducted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in cooperation with comparison site Carrentals.co.uk. Despite widespread ignorance about the relevent Highway Code, 63% believed they knew the local drink drive limit and the penalties if they were caught. The FCO has launched a tool allowing users to click on a map and see AA motoring information as well as its own travel advice and for countries around the world.
 

Travel firm starts Greek island winter heating fund

Against the backdrop of the Greek economic crisis Skyros, the operator of holistic, yoga and creative holidays, has started a fund to pay for heating schools, a clinic and a nursing home next winter on the island from which it takes its name. It is inviting contributions with the aim of raising €20,000. Visit www.skyros.com/news.htm for details.
 

Zagreb to get motor museum

A motor museum is scheduled to open in Zagreb this summer. Named after Ferdinand Budicki, who brought the first car to Croatia in 1901, it will showcase classics such as the Ford Model T and Volkswagen Kharmann Ghia as well as locally made cars such as the Zastava Fico. A range of motorcycles and scooters will also be on show. They will include a BMW R25 - with a Steib sidecar - introduced in 1950, only two years after a ban on the production of motorcycles in Germany, imposed by the Allies under the Potsdam agreement, was lifted. Visitors will be able to see vehicles from the collection in various squares around the Croatian capital before the museum opens in June.
 

New Denmark flights from Birmingham

BMI regional will launch a new service from Birmingham to Billund in Denmark this summer. The airline will operate daily round trips except on Saturdays, starting on June 3. Billund Airport is best known as the gateway to Legoland but it is also a good jumping off point for travellers visiting the city of Aarhus and those heading further north to Jutland and Skagen, close to the meeting point of Skagerrak and Kattegat, which has a superb museum exhibitng wprks by a school of late 19th and early 20th century painters who went there to capture the area's special light.
 

EasyJet moves to end airport check in

easyJet has confirmed it will axe conventional airport check in desks from April 30. They will then be used for bag drops. The only exceptions will be Antalya, Dalaman and Izmir airports in Turkey, where local regulations do not allow passengers to print out boarding passes themselves on line. What about customers who don't comply? There will be a "transitional period", says the airline, but it is "actively contacting" travellers before departure to remind them to check in online - and is advising them to do so for both outward and inbound journeys. The airline says 80% of its passengers already check in on line and it is trying to encourage the remainder to do so. Meanwhile easyJet has announced it will launch its first flights to Norway. Starting on May 20 it will operate between Gatwick and Bergen.
 

Gatwick currency deal for Moneycorp

Moneycorp has won an exclusive contract to exchange currencies at Gatwick. As a result the company will double the number of counters it operates in the North and South Terminals from nine to 18 and increase its ATMs to around 40. Among its services Moneycorp allows travellers to order currency in advance at favourable rates and pick it up either at one of its London branches or at the airport on departure. The company also has branches at Stansted, Southampton and Southen airports.
 

Venice palazzo to become hotel

A 16th century palazzo on Venice’s Grand Canal is scheduled to open as a luxury hotel in time for the Biennale art exhibition in June. The property, which will be Singapore-based Amanresorts' first hotel in Italy, roughly halfway between the Rialto and Accademia bridges. Two of its dining rooms and one of its suites have ceiling painted by the 18th century artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The hotel will have 24 rooms and suites , a spa, gym and two gardens - created when neighbouring buildings were knocked down in the early 19th century - on the canal.  Guests will be offered motorboat service from the airport and railway station. This doesn't come cheap. Rates currently advertised start at €1000 per night. Amanresorts has 25 properties worldwide, in countries including France, Turkey, Greece and Montenegro.
 

Slow train across the Andes

Travel firms are beginning to offer trips on Ecuador's restored Trans-Andean railway - scheduled to re-open officially in June. A one off package is on offer from Journey Latin America. After floods and landslides destroyed much of the track six years ago, the line, which originally opened in 1908, was mostly closed. The following year it was declared a historical monument and major investment was ploughed into its renovation. Large sections of the track will now function fully again and steam locomotives will haul trains on some stretches. The tour operated by Journey Latin America starts in near Quito and joins the the old San Lorenzo section of the line in the north before continuing to the coast at Guayaquil. Trains run at a leisurely average of about 20mph.The trip departs in June 26 and costs £3778, which includes flights from Heathrow, b&b and visits to other Ecuadorian points of interest. Meanwhile South American travel company Metropolitan Touring is offering a number of train departures between June and September from $US1447 (around £1000) for a night's b&b at Casa Gangotena in Quito's old town and three days on the train. International flights are extra.
 

Wagner exhibition opens

Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig 200 years ago. A major new exhibition marking the bicentenary has just opened at the city's Stadtgeschichtliches Museum. It illustrates the influence of his life’s experiences - his restless efforts to elude his creditors and political opponents on his musical creations. Wagnerlust und Wagnerlast (Richard Wagner - between Leipzig and Bayreuth) runs until May 26.
 

New hotel for Leipzig

Leipzig, where Richard Wagner was born 200 years ago this May and Johann Sebastian Bach conducted the still surviving St Thomas Boys Choir, is to get a new hotel. The 160 room Steigenburger InterCity is scheduled to open in May on Tröndlinring, close to the Central Station and opposite the new Höfe am Brühl shopping complex. Rooms will have wireless internet access and guests will be able to take advantage of an InterCity hotel chain deal enabling them to use the former East German city's transports system free.
 

Cunard simplified dress code

Cruise line Cunard has simplified evening dress codes, according to a report in the trade journal Travel Weekly. It has switched from its previous range of "formal", "semi-formal" and "elegant casual" to just "formal and informal". Up to five evening will be informal, which means jackets with ties optional. Other evenings will require formal dress. The changes will take effect aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in the next few weeks.
 

Azores garden tour launched

Keen gardeners will be able to access gardens not usually open to the public on a new tour of  the island of Sao Miguel, in the Azores. Organised by Sunvil Discovery, a small group will be led by plant expert and and Azorean specialist, David Sayers. The seven night trip will concentrate on endemic species. It was inspired by the success of  the "Azorean Garden" exhibit - organised by the tour operator in conjunction with  the Azores Promotion Agency - at last year's RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Travellers will stay in Furnas, which has a large botanical garden. You can swim there in the warm water of a geothermal pool. Nearby, locals come to bury pots filled with cozida (stew), which  is cooked by the same volcanic heat. Departing in June 8 it costs £1691 for each of two sharing.
 

Art of flower painting goes on show in Copenhagen

Flower painting is the theme of a new exhibition opening this week at the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen. Sometimes looked down on the rarefied art world, the genre has been adapted to reflect philosophical shifts and advances in knowledge. The Danish exhibition, which comprises over 300 works, focuses on the 17th and 18th centuries, looking at the impact science had on flower painters in Germany, Flanders and the Netherlands. Flowers and World Views runs until October 20.
 

Toulouse tempts tourists

Toulouse is making a bid to attract more tourists with the introduction of volunteer guides and the launch of a pass valid for free public transport and cut price admission to 34 tourist attractions. The guides will be city residents able to provide local insights and tips. The Pass Tourisme will be available from the tourist office for one, two or three days and will cost from €18, though it's probably only worth the investment if you're planning to visit attractions away from the centre, including the much praised Cité de l'Espace (space museum).

New Logis guide out

With details of 2600 French hotels and their restaurants, the latest international Logis guide is out today. It's free and the easiest way to get it is via www.logishotel.com. There's a 7 Euro delivery charge but it's worth every cent.
 

EU sets out new protection for air passengers

Airlines will no longer be able to leave passengers in the dark about delays or cancellations under new consumer protection rules proposed by the European Commission. They will have to tell customers what is happening as soon as possible - and in any event no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time. And as soon as this information is made available they must provide information about the estimated new departure time. The rules on compensation for delays will also change. Currently airline have to fork out after three hours - but they can't often fly in spare parts or lay on an alternative aircraft that quickly, so they frequently cancel the flights altogether because that can cost them less than feeding delayed passengers and maybe paying for accommodation. Now the deadline for compensation will be five hours for intra-EU flights less than 3500kms. For other international flights it will be nine hours up to 6000kms and 12 hours on journeys longer than that. If they are stuck on board on the tarmac for an hour or more, customers will have the right to air conditioning, use of the toilets, medical assistance and drinking water.

Three UK hotels join DoubleTree chain

Hilton is to take over the running of three more UK hotels under its DoubleTree brand. They are the former Jarvis Hotel in Bristol's city centre, the Point Hotel, close to Princes Street in Edinburgh, and the Nottingham Gateway, on the A610 between the city and the M1. The properties are scheduled to open in their new guises in spring, summer and late this year respectively, following major refurbishments.

Cabin bag only savings now on all BA short haul Gatwick flights

British Airways has extended its new cut price cabin baggage only fares to all its short haul routes from Gatwick. The deals, for passengers with no luggage to check in, were initially offered only to Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Jersey, Tunis and Turin. From April 2 they will be available to the other 27 destinations BA serves from the airport.  They include fares from £39 one way to Genoa and Glasgow. Peter Simpson, the airline's Gatwick director, says: "The new fares have been very well received by customers". 

Iceland sees huge tourism growth

Foreign tourism to Iceland soared by 20% last year - the biggest increase among Europe countries. Next came Lithuania (up 12%) and Romania (plus10%). The figures come from the European Travel Commission’s Market Intelligence Group in Brussels. Hungary and Germany (both up 8%) also saw healthy growth, while tourism to Spain and Austria rose by 5%. At the other end of the scale tourism to Poland dropped by 2% and the UK saw no growth. The relatively poor performance of these two countries coincided with major sporting events - the European nations football finals in the former and the Olympics and Paralympics in the latter. Political unrest in Greece depressed incoming tourism there by 5%. Over all European tourism was up 4%.

Hilton to open its first hotel in Burma

Burma's rehabilitation as a tourist destination has gathered pace with the news that Hilton is to manage a hotel next year in the Yangon. The 21-story property, opposite the High Court building and Independence Monument Park , will be housed in Centrepoint Towers which is also home to offices and upmarket shops. It will have 300 rooms - promising impressive views over the city - business and firness centres, a pool and a spa. Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, remains the country's largest city, though it lost its status as capital to Nayoidaw seven years ago.This will be Hilton Worldwide’s first hotel in Burma, whose official name was changed to Myanmar by the military government in 1989.

Danish cycle tours launched

Love geting on your bike but not quite up to the Tour de France? Cycling holidays in Zealand, Denmark's largest island, have been launched by Inntravel. Trails, which run along the shore and inland are well signposted and devoid of climbs. Points of interest include Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, setting for Hamlet and Fredensborg, where the Danish royal family spend spring and autumn, and receive visiting heads of state. Prices start at £675 for four nights b&b (with two dinners) in two seaside hotels, based on two sharing and including cycle hire and luggage transfers. Flights are extra.

Mountain hotel planned in Oman

A new luxury hotel is scheduled to open this year, 2000 metres above sea level in Oman's spectacular and rugged Jabal Akhdar mountain region. Most accommodation of this standard in Oman has been built along the Arabian Sea coast. Alila Jabal Akhdar, which will be at  will prove access to magnificent hiking. Overlooking a dramatic gorge, the hotel will have 78 rooms, six suites and two villas. It will also incorporate a cliff side restaurant, pool, spa and - though it's debatable whether or not you'll need it after a day's walking - a  fitness room. www.alilahotels.com.

Free five star stopovers in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Airlines has reintroduced free five star stopovers in Kuala Lumpur for passengers travelling from the UK to a wide range of destinations across South east Asia and Australasia. The deal is valid on flights throughout the rest of this year for two people travelling together. You must book by the end of March. Travellers to any of the airline's destinations in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Burma, Bali, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand can stay overnight free at the five star Berjaya Times Square Hotel. Extra nights cost £60.

Ski operators fight guide ban

British ski holiday operators are lining up to back chalet specialist Le Ski in its appeal against a French court ruling that informal ski guiding by UK staff is illegal. Twelve operators - Alpine Elements, Crystal Ski, Inghams, Mark Warner, Neilson, Ski Esprit, Ski Olympic, Ski Total, Skiworld, Thomson, VIP Ski and Le Ski itself - met last week to discuss a way out of the present impasse, which is preventing them providing the service. Guiding or "social skiing" involves a company representative showing guests around the slopes, pointing out good lunch spots and the best way to avoid queues, for example. It does not involve instruction or venturing off piste. In many North American resorts such a service is organised by the ski area management and provided by volunteer hosts, who show skiers around the mountain according to their ability.

Over 50s now more adventurous

One in ten over 50s still goes skiing, 25% have been cycling while on holiday - and ten per cent have been canoeing, according to new research. Forty per cent said they had become more adventurous in their choice of holidays as they had grown older. The survey was commissioned by tailor made holiday specialist Collets Travel. A greater number of flights from local airports was cited by 22% as a stimulus for embarking on more far flung journeys. One in twenty said there was fierce competition between retired friends, with many trying to outdo each other when it came to exotic holiday stories. Over a third said their grown up children were happy to see the parents spending their inheritance on travel, but ten per cent admitted their offspring harboured some resentment.
 

French drop plan to fine drivers who don't carry breathalysers

The French Government has postponed indefinitely plans to fine drivers who don't carry breathalyser kits. The move was announced over a month ago but we confess it slipped past us - so we suspect many readers won't be aware of it, either. The AA says that, in theory, you are still required by law to carry a self testing kit but that there is no current legislation enabling police to demand the previously threatened €11 on the spot fine for failing to comply. Mind you, with the French upper limit for alcohol in the blood lower than in the UK - and police sometimes out and about on Sunday mornings to catch those who have over indulged on Saturday night - it's not a bad idea to have one in the glove compartment anyway. Then you can check whether you are safely below the limit of 0.5%.
 

Art and wonder rooms re-open in Vienna

Vienna's Kunst und Wunderkammern, full of the exotic fancies of Habsburg emperors, are scheduled to re-open on Friday after a decade of renovation. Translated as the "arts and wonders rooms", exhibits range from Renaissance bronzes to rhinoceros horn carvings. They were all commissioned by or presented to members of the imperial family. Among the highlights are works by the goldsmiths, such as the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini, sculpture, including  the Krumau Madonna, precious clocks and early scientific instruments. The rooms are part of the city's Kunst Historisches Museum  where,  with some disruption during the Second World War, the collections have been housed for over 100 years.
 

Finnish island cycling trips launched

Island hopping by bike is the focus of an intriguing new package from Guild Travel - off the coast of Finland. Customers start by seeing the capital, Helsinki, from the saddle, go by train to Turku and next day bike to Naantali and across the bridge to Merimasku. The main island hopping day involves seven ferry journeys through the Finnish archipelago. Then it's back to the mainland for more exploration before spending the last night in a manor house in Mustio. The holiday is on offer from Guild Travel and costs from £994 a head including flights, half board accommodation, train tickets and luggage transfers - and bike and helmet rental.

Top South Beach restaurants listed

Where to eat on Miami's buzzing South Beach? A local food tour company - Miami Culinary Tours - has come up with a list of its top recommendations. They pick My Ceviche, SuViche, Yardbird, Bartin G The Restaurant, La Gloutonnerie, Blue Collar, Graziano's and La Bouchon du Grove. The company runs daily tours at noon and 6pm tasting different styles of cooking from Cuban to Italian and providing insights into the communities where they can be enjoyed.
 

Get to grips with Greek crisis - on foot

An American city walks specialist  is offering to explain the Greek economic crisis on tours of Athens. Philadelphia-based Context Travel promises to unravel the intricacies of the financial disaster which has plunged the country into despair in plain language. The three hour walking tours, which may be booked privately or by groups, will be led by an economist. They will start in Syntagma Square in front of the Greek parliament, with an overview of the Government's role and the people's protests which took place there. By the Old Parliament Building attention will turn to Greek economic history. At the Central Bank the more recent origins of the crisis will be discussed. There will be anecdotes to illustrate the impact on ordinary Greeks. If there's time, discussion may continue over a glass of wine in a bar. The group price is €70 a head. The price for a private party is €305. Visit www.contexttravel.com or call their London walks office at 020 3514 1780.
 

Birdwatching for beginners

Everything you wanted to know about twitching but were too embarrassed to ask. Naturetrek has launched a series of beginner birdwatching packages for those keen to tell the difference between a widgeon and a pochard but are apprehensive at the idea they might be shown up by expert fellow travellers. The only expert on these tour should be the accompanying ornithologist. The packages include a winter break on the Somerset Levels at £295 per person and a spring week spotting spot migrant birds on the Aegean island of Lesbos costing £1395 with flights.
 

Sterling forecast to increase against Euro

Amid this week's economic gloom from the Governor or the Bank of England, a glint of consolation for travellers: research carried out for the Association of British Tour Operators to France found four major banks forecasting the £ would strengthen against the Euro next year. An average of their predictions suggested sterling's value would reach around €1.30 by the end of 2013. Currently it is worth just over €1.24. Not a massive boost - it works out at 4.8% - and such forecasts may not turn out to be accurate. But welcome optimism nonetheless.
 

Vintage neon gets lit up

The Las Vegas Neon Museum (www.NeonMuseum.org) is to be lit up. Looks like a contradiction? The rescued signs in the city's so called Neon Boneyard have never been restored and therefore aren't turned on. But to mark the opening this week of a new visitor centre there, in the lobby of the former La Concha Motel, special lighting has been installed to provide a better view of how they once looked. Signs from some of the city's most famous properties including the Moulin Rouge,  Desert Inn, Flamingo and Stardust, are among the collection on a two acre site.
 

Wizz starts charging for big cabin bags

Low cost Wizz Air has taken the unusual step of charging for large cabin bags. The charges took effect yesterday. Bags measuring up to 42x32x25cms can be taken on board free. Bags bigger than that but not exceeding 56x45x25cms - which is the standard airline upper limit imposed by British Airways and easyJet, for example - will cost €10.